


across the stars

by geordiejade



Category: Little Mix (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe- Star Wars, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, you do not want to know how many hours i've spent on wookiepedia so i could write this fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-01
Updated: 2016-09-13
Packaged: 2018-07-28 17:09:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 20,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7649368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/geordiejade/pseuds/geordiejade
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jade is a newly knighted Jedi. Perrie is the daughter of a wealthy bureaucrat. After an attempted kidnapping and the murder of Perrie's parents, Jade is sent on her first solo mission since becoming a Knight and is assigned to be Perrie's personal bodyguard. </p><p>Basically the Star Wars AU no one asked for.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first fanfiction I've ever published so please be gentle with me. Feedback is always welcome and greatly appreciated.
> 
> This story was originally published on Wattpad but I wanted to post it here as well.
> 
> The title is taken from John Williams' "Across the Stars" aka, the most beautiful piece ever composed.

She stood facing the Council, brown eyes jumping from one member to another. In this position, she felt oddly similar to how she did during her Knighting ceremony; nervous, eager, and proud. It was easy to recall how she felt. It had not even been two months since she had passed the last of the Trials during a rescue mission with her Master. Her Knighting ceremony had taken place shortly after. The small patch of shaven hair at the base of her skull where her Padawan braid once was attested to that.

Despite the satisfaction she felt at receiving a mission so soon after her ascension, Jade could not help but feel a twinge of hesitation. She was honored to be given a mission, truly, but she had planned to further her training at the Temple by following in her Master's footsteps and specializing as a Consular. In fact, she had already arranged a meeting with Master Yoda to discuss her next steps. Before entering the Council room, Master Yoda had pulled her aside and promised he would keep in touch while she was away.

Master Windu was the first to speak.

"Thirlwall. Chancellor Palpatine has asked us to send a Jedi to the planet Chandrila. A few days ago, two bureaucrats in charge of the production and shipment of foodstuffs that feed our Clone army were murdered, leaving their daughter behind to take their place. The planet itself is invaluable to the Galactic Republic and he fears that the Separatists are behind the attacks." The Jedi Master paused for a minute to glance around the room before continuing. "And for once, the Council agrees with him. You will be sent to Chandrila to watch over their daughter and if possible, catch the people behind this. You leave first thing tomorrow."

Jade nodded. She didn't know exactly what she had been hoping for, but it wasn't this. A simple guard job? Surely the police force on Chandrila would suffice. But maybe not, or else the Chancellor would not have made the request.

Master Yoda, perhaps sensing her agitation, gave her the slightest of smiles.

"Faith in you, we have. Back at the Temple soon, you will be."

Jade nodded again, in Master Yoda's direction this time.

"Thank you, Master Yoda."

She turned her attention back to Master Windu, waiting for further instruction. He gave none. There was nothing left to say, besides a farewell.

"May the Force be with you, young Thirlwall." Master Windu said.

"May the Force be with you, Master." Jade replied.

And with that, the Council meeting was brought to a close.

\----------

Jade's former mentor met with her that evening.

They had not had much contact since Jade's ascension, but that was due to her old master's absence from the Temple. After Jade had completed her training, her master had left immediately to find another Padawan. Upon hearing of Jade's assignment, she had returned to the Temple despite not having taken on a new student

Alshain Thio was everything you could want in a Jedi Master. She was brave, compassionate, and disciplined. She could be impatient at times, but she rarely lost her temper. She was a good teacher and an even better friend. There was an approachableness to her master that the likes of Mace Windu and Master Yoda would never have. Jade felt as if she could tell her master anything and she did, mostly. She kept very few secrets from her Master.

Jade had not been Alshain's first Padawan and she certainly would not be her last. Regardless, Alshain had been immensely proud to see Jade's rise to Knighthood. She had no doubt that Jade would be a great Jedi. Her Padawan was pragmatic and passionate at the same time. She had not seen such quiet strength and devotion in an individual for many years. Jade's warmheartedness was refreshing; it was her greatest asset but her greatest weakness. Her compassion was a double-edged sword.

The greeted each other with a bow of the head.

"An assignment already? That's quite fast, even for you."

Jade smiled, but it quickly faltered.

"It's nothing big. Guard duty, essentially."

"They would not have assigned it to you if it wasn't important. Chancellor's request or not, it is vital that Chandrila remains allied with the Republic. If it were to fall in the hands of the Separatists..." The Jedi Master trailed off with a shake of her head.

"I understand, Master. The girl, I'll keep her safe."

Up until this point, she hadn't even stopped to think about the girl she would soon be protecting. A girl who had just lost her parents. A girl who would never see her parents again. Jade thought of her own parents. She felt the beginnings of anger at the mere idea of them. When she spoke again, there was an edge to her voice.

"I will find the people responsible. They won't get away with this. "

Master Alshain must have heard the tremble in her voice.

"You should meditate tonight. You'll want a clear and ready mind if you're leaving tomorrow morning."

Jade understood what this meant. Get a hold of yourself, Thirlwall. She didn't need to be told twice.

"Of course, Master. I'll do that right away." The brunette bowed before turning in the direction of the meditation garden.

"And Jade— be mindful of your emotions. Do not allow them to get the better of you."

There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no emotion, there is peace. Jade ran the first line of the Jedi Code through her head over and over, like a mantra.

\----------

It was dark by the time she finished meditating.

That was the thing about meditation. Time either seems to pass twice as slow or twice as quick. On this occasion, it was the latter. She had arrived at the garden, sat down, and closed her eyes. She did as her master taught her. She focused on her emotions. She recognized her aggravation and understood it. Jade did not know her parents and had no memory of them. Coming to terms with the fact she would never meet them was a difficult task. The thought of someone knowing and loving their parents but suddenly losing them made her blood boil.

So she let her emotion go. She emptied herself and allowed the Force to move through her.

Freeing oneself of emotion is not easy, which probably explained why it was nearing midnight by the time Jade entered her living quarters.

Her room was small, with only a cot and a desk and chair in the corner. There was nothing personal about it. She had no belongings, besides her lightsaber and the few tools on her belt. The only clothing she had were the robes she wore and a spare set, just in case.

Packing took no time at all. As she lay in bed, the reality of her departure became much more apparent. Her eyes scanned the dim room she called her own for as long as she could remember. Jade had the feeling that when she left the next morning, she would not give her room a second glance. If anything, she would miss the familiarity of it. But leaving would not be difficult. She never really considered it her home.


	2. Chapter 2

Jade was never a big fan of flying. When she had to, she preferred to pilot. Being in control was better than strapping herself down in the back and hoping for the best. Unfortunately, her starfighter had taken a bit of a beating the last time she had flown so she was stuck taking an LAAT dropship to Chandrila. It had, however, given her time to go over information given to her by the Council.

She had been sent a brief message with a document attached, providing information on the girl she would be protecting. Perrie Edwards was her name. She was a year younger than Jade and that was all she knew. The document said nothing else.

The flight was more or less uneventful. There was nothing to do but wait. Jade knew that if her master were here, she would have been made to meditate for the few hours it would take to reach the Chandrila system. For once, Jade was thankful she was alone.

Instead, she went back and forth between pacing and sitting and then pacing again. She did not stop until a clone trooper interrupted her, only to tell her that they would be landing on Chandrila in just a few moments.

\----------

When she first stepped out of the dropship, her immediate reaction was to shield her eyes. The sun was bright, brighter than it had ever been on Coruscant. Coruscant had always felt a little bit like evening. Even during the day, the neon signs and city lights had the tendency to overshadow the natural light. Sunlight didn't even reach the lower levels of the planet. On Coruscant, the sky was the rarest resource.

After her eyes adjusted, Jade took in her surroundings.

Chandrila was beautiful. Besides battlefields and a few Outer Rim planets, Jade had only ever known the Temple, which had its own elegance, but its drafty halls and ancient atmosphere sometimes dampened its beauty. Rolling, grassy hills, a gentle breeze, and a warmth that tempted her to remove her cloak, Chandrila was everything Coruscant was not. She had never seen something so beautiful in her entire life.

And then she saw Perrie Edwards.

She was breathtaking. She had startling eyes and long hair and when she smiled, Chandrila's sun didn't seem so bright anymore.

There was no mistaking which one was her. For one thing, she was the only other person on the landing pad under the age of forty. Besides that, it was evident by the way she held herself that she was the most important person in the room. If Jade didn't know any better, she would have mistaken the blonde for a monarch. 

A man about 40 years her senior had been the first to welcome her, one of Perrie's advisers, no doubt. He approached her and bowed reverently before speaking.

"Greetings, Master Jedi. We hope your journey here was pleasant. Please, come this way."

Jade followed, but with a slight hesitation. Being referred to as master had caught her a bit off guard.

"This is Miss Edwards." Perrie bowed her head a little at the introduction. When she returned her gaze to Jade, she was beaming.

Jade felt her face go hot. She blamed it on the weather.

"You will be in charge of Miss Edwards' well-being until all threats to her safety have been detected and eliminated. We've given you as much freedom as possible in terms of her security. All we ask is that you accompany her at all times."

Jade nodded as she listened, stealing a glance at Perrie every now and then. It wasn't until the blonde interrupted her adviser that she had Jade's undivided attention.

"Jiinan, I would like to speak with her privately, if that's all right."

"Certainly, miss." And without another word he was gone, leaving the two girls alone on the landing pad.

"Is everything alright, Miss Edwards?" Jade was puzzled by her action.

"Please, when we're alone you can call me Perrie. And how should I address you, Master Jedi?"

There was something in the way she said it that made Jade feel like she was teasing her. She wasn't exactly sure how to respond.

"Just call me Jade. But only when we're alone, of course." She had only said the last bit in an attempt to tease Perrie back. In truth, Jade had the strange desire to keep their relationship casual. It may have had to do with the fact that for her entire life, any sort of relations she had were purely professional or at least formal to some degree. Jedi were forbidden from personal attachments. She had been trained since she was a child to let go, to dismiss any emotions that would lead to commitment. But despite her training, she could already feel something forming between them. Friendship, maybe? Just this once, she would allow any fondness to mature before letting it go.

"If you'd like, I can call someone over to help you carry your bags. It's getting late so I don't think I'll have time to show you around the city. We'll just do that tomorrow." Perrie looked over at the dropship, where the pilot was awaiting Jade's okay signal to take off.

"I don't have any..." Jade trailed off with a shake of her head. "This is all I have." She said, holding up the bundle of extra clothes she'd been carrying.

Perrie's smile faltered, but not by much. Just enough to be noticed by someone who was paying very close attention— which Jade was. There was something in the way she looked at her. Not with derision or pity but... concern. It was a look Jade had not received very often.

"Come on then. My house isn't too far from here." And with that, Perrie grabbed Jade's free hand before pulling her along.

\----------

Perrie had seemingly no boundaries when it came to personal space. That much was evident when she decided to hold the hand of a near stranger, a Jedi, with no warning.

Besides her lack of respect for personal space, the first thing Jade noticed was how bubbly the blonde was. Even in spite of the current situation, she managed to stay in high-spirits. As they walked, Perrie talked endlessly about a multitude of things, herself and her job being among the subjects of conversation. At one point, she had let go of Jade's hand to point out a large factory she owned, where the packaging and shipping of foodstuffs took place.

Perrie's house stood on a small hill on the outskirts of the town where it overlooked the rest of the city. The house was, to put it frankly, enormous. In the setting sun, the marble pillars cast a shadow against the rest of the house, dyeing the white paint a dull gray. It was nothing compared to the Temple on Coruscant, but the Temple was built to house hundreds of Jedi at a time. Perrie's only needed to accommodate herself.

When they both had climbed up the cobblestone stairs leading up to the front entryway, Perrie unlocked one of the double doors and held it open for Jade. She was smiling again, like she was when they were first being introduced.

"Well, come on in. I'll give you a quick tour before I show you to your room." And for the second time that day, Perrie took hold of Jade's hand.


	3. Chapter 3

The outside of the building, impressive as it was, paled in comparison to the interior. Her home was more traditional compared to most, made mostly of wood and marble as opposed to the laminasteel buildings that covered Coruscant, but that served to give it a very charming atmosphere. The foyer was a large open space, white walls and white marble tile, both with gray accents. To the right, a large staircase that spiraled up to the second and third floor. To the left, the white tile declined into a living room with hardwood flooring. A worn sofa and armchairs sat gathered around a coffee table. The remnants of a fire still smoldered in the fireplace. 

Jade followed Perrie through the living room to a massive kitchen. Two islands stood in the middle, the black marble tops clean except for a single basket with fruits native to Chandrila. On one side of the room, a counter top ran the length of the kitchen. On the other, floor to ceiling windows displayed a terrific view of the Silver Sea. Sliding glass doors led out to a porch where a small, very furry dog lay snoozing away in the sun. His name was Hatchi and Perrie had decided against waking him up for a proper introduction. "He's a right diva if he doesn't get his nap," was her reasoning.

"Cups are here, plates and bowls here, silverware in here..." Perrie pointed to the respective cupboards and drawers. "Help yourself to anything. Kitchen's always open."

Jade nodded and followed the blonde into a dining room which combined with a more formal sitting room, this one with stiff armchairs, an expensive looking coffee table and a grand piano in the corner.

The upper two floors consisted mostly of studies and home offices, with a private library or game room with holotables here and there. Perrie commented on each room they walked past, making sure to mention that Jade was free to use any she'd like. As they walked down the long hallway of the third floor, Jade noted that the door to every room was wide open, except for one at the very end of the hall. When they walk passed it, Perrie said nothing. Jade didn't need to be told whose room it used to be.

They took a turn past the unmentioned door down another, much shorter, hallway. When they reached the end, Perrie led Jade into the room just right of the end of the hall.

"And here's your room. I hope it's as nice as what you're used to." 

Jade had to keep herself from scoffing. It was nearly three times the size of her room at the Temple and infinitely more cozy. The walls were a welcoming light blue color, much better than the bland tan walls of the Temple dorm rooms. The bed was comfortable, the desk provided ample space for doing work, and a large window let in the natural sunlight. In short, it was the loveliest room Jade had ever stayed in.

"I'll let you make yourself comfortable. If you need me, my room's just across the hall." The blonde turned, crossing the corridor in two steps, opened the door and disappeared behind it. 

Now that she was alone, Jade put away the few belongings she had. She hung her extra pair of robes in the wardrobe, almost feeling embarrassed by the emptiness of the armoire. She removed most the equipment from her belt and left it on the desk, keeping only her lightsaber and comlink with her.

Despite how foreign the situation was, Jade felt more comfortable on Chandrila than she had ever felt on Coruscant. She told herself it was because Chandrila was smaller, quieter, more tranquil than Coruscant and its never sleeping, planet-wide city. She found herself standing in front of the window, her hands on the back of a chair, staring out at the balmgrass hills before letting her eyes close. An unorthodox method of meditation, but an efficient one nonetheless. 

The Force was notably strong on Chandrila. If Jade had to guess, it was because of the planet's ecosystem, the peace between the people and nature, that allowed the Force's presence to be so significant. 

In this state, Jade could easily sense the presence at the door. The blonde didn't get a chance to knock before Jade called out. 

"Come in."

There was a pause before the door slid open slowly. Perrie poked her head in, her body leaning against the door frame. She had changed out of the pantsuit she had been wearing earlier into a floral sundress.

"I'm sorry... I didn't interrupt anything, did I?" 

Jade shook her head. "Not at all. Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, everything's fine. I'm going down for dinner and I figured you'd be hungry as well... Join me?" 

\---------- 

The two ate in the kitchen, sitting across from each other at one of the islands. Perrie had apologized, telling her that the table in the dining room had not been set in time. Jade had no problem with it. She preferred a casual setting anyway. The view of the ocean and the sun setting on its horizon didn't hurt either. It had given Jade something to look at, an excuse to not make frequent eye contact with Perrie. 

She couldn't put it into words, the effect the blonde had on her nor could she articulate a reason why. She refrained from looking at Perrie, fearing that if she did, she would never stop. On the occasions she stole a glance at her, it was like she was struck dumb by her piercing blue eyes. 

If Perrie was put off by Jade's reserved behavior, she didn't show it. In fact, Jade was sure that Perrie had made it a personal mission to get as much out of her as possible. She asked dozens of questions and didn't seem to be annoyed by Jade's brief answers.

"So, what do you think of Chandrila?"

"It's lovely."

"Do you miss Coruscant?"

"Not as much as I thought I would."

"What was it like living there? Exciting?"

The conversation continued like that until Perrie had exhausted her supply of queries. Perrie, evidently having no tolerance for silence, immediately took to finding another source of discussion.

"Oh, look at Hatchi. I think he's having a dream."

When Jade looked at the Pomeranian, she couldn't keep herself from laughing. He was in the same spot he was earlier but instead of lying still, his little legs were moving furiously, as if he was chasing something. She glanced over at Perrie who was laughing as well, their eyes meeting briefly before she returned her gaze to the dog. 

Jade's laughter faltered, however, after realizing she had forgotten herself. She sobered immediately and when she looked back at Perrie, the blonde's brow was furrowed and there was that same look in her eyes that she had on the landing pad. A look of concern mingled with confusion.

Jade cleared her throat and suddenly became very interested in her salad, picking at it as she felt Perrie's eyes on her. She had to remind herself that this was still a mission, that there was no time for messing around when dark forces were at work. If her master were here, Jade would've been scolded.

"Jade?"

Jade raised her eyebrows, her eyes still on her plate. 

"Look at me."

Perrie's expression was nothing but gentle, as if she could sense the Jedi's conflicted feelings. She reached across the table, placing her hand on top of Jade's. 

"In front of me... it's okay for you to be a normal girl. You don't have to be my stoic protector, you don't have to be Jedi. You can just be... Jade."

Jade was stunned. Never in her life had she been permitted, encouraged to be a 'normal girl', to be herself. For the Jedi, there was only duty. Duty and sacrifice. Jade had never minded it. She loved being a Jedi, what they stood for, what they fought for. But she wanted to be a normal girl too, if she could fit it in.

In the back of her mind she knew the situation could not be resolved so easily, but in the moment she only felt relieved.

\---------- 

The walk back to their bedrooms was silent. When they reached the door, Jade stopped the blonde from going into her room.

"Thank you, Perrie."

What she was thanking her for, Perrie would never be sure. She smiled, wishing Jade a good night and telling her she'd see her in the morning.

The brunette entered her room, knowing she should meditate. Instead, she headed straight to the bed.

Jade fell asleep wishing she had disregarded her master's teachings, just so she could have heard Perrie laugh for a little longer.


	4. Chapter 4

Perrie had been left with no time to grieve. Promptly after the death of her parents, she was pushed into taking their place in managing their company. After all, it belonged to her now. With the amount of effort it took for her to run the business with the same efficiency as her parents, she had little to no time to herself. Every waking moment was spent supervising, dealing with finances, the like. When she thought about it, it seemed that staying busy was the best thing to do.

Her parents were killed on a Centaxday, the Galactic Standard equivalent of a Tuesday. Jade had arrived on a Benduday, the Galactic Standard equivalent of a Friday.

She had her own mental image of what a Jedi was and was pleasantly surprised when her Jedi protector arrived. She imagined an old man supernaturally floating in the air, a middle aged Twi'lek woman cutting down battle droids left and right... but a girl her age? She never would have expected that.

Perrie had heard both good things and and bad things about the Jedi and because of that, she had refrained from asking any questions regarding the topic in fear of discovering something about Jade she would rather not know. Anti-Jedi sentiments were not widespread on Chandrila, but there were those who were distrustful of the Jedi, who thought them no better than the Sith; just men and women with too much power, squabbling over some outdated religion, while the rest of the galaxy suffered.

If Perrie had any ill feelings toward Jedi, that would have changed upon meeting Jade. She was unbelievably polite, reserved to the point of shyness, and frequently had a pensive look on her face that Perrie couldn't help but find adorable. Perrie had taken a liking to her immediately.

Well, saying she had taken a liking to her was an understatement. Perrie was infatuated with her. She had seen Jade's high cheekbones, her doe eyes, her wavy brown hair, her petite frame and she was half in love with the girl before they had even said a word to each other.

She blamed her sudden interest in Jade on loneliness. She was without a family and any friends she did have, she wanted to keep away from. She didn't need more people she loved dying because of her. But still, she needed someone to fill the emptiness left in her heart. All she wanted was to love and just be loved.

Unfortunately, it was highly inappropriate to make a move on your Jedi bodyguard. Maybe in another time, another place, they could have been something. That's what she told herself. But inappropriate or not, nothing would stop her from making advances on Jade. Her brush with death, the realization that she could die any minute, that had made her accept the reality of her situation. And if she had to leave this life before her time, she would not do so with any regrets.

\----------

Jade had heard of Jedi having premonitions while dreaming, their senses heightened by the Force, allowing them to see future possibilities. Her first experience with such things had been terrifying.

What she saw was jumbled and confusing, as all dreams tend to be. But it was different somehow, more intense. The vision, the emotions, all of it was just more real.

She saw Perrie, tears staining her cheeks as she stood over two bodies slumped in their chairs. The image, an obvious vision of the past, transitioned hazily to another. Perrie smiling, taking Jade's hand. Perrie sitting out in the balmgrass, what looked like a picnic basket beside her. Perrie lying across a bed, a suggestive smirk on her face. Perrie, mere inches away from Jade and shining with sweat, naked. Perrie laughing. The bright Chandrilian sky. Master Windu and Master Yoda, their faces a mixture of disappointment and pity. Perrie looking down at a blaster wound in her stomach. Perrie dead.

And the entire time, there was something lurking in the recesses of the dream. A dark something in the background. An evil something.

Jade woke with a start, drenched in a cold sweat.

Her heart was pounding. Her body felt tired, like she had barely slept at all, but her mind was racing. She wasn't sure what she should focus on. She wanted to concentrate on Perrie's death. As difficult as it was, she tried to re-imagine it in her mind's eye to see if there was anything she could recognize, anything that would allow her to keep it from happening. But all she could think of was Perrie's nude body, inches away from hers. How her hands had rested on Jade's chest, how she felt the blonde's breath on her neck. The thought made her shiver.

What she saw scared her and to the Jedi, fear was a powerful enemy.

She decided right then that she would not allow any of the visions to come true.

\----------

Jade skipped breakfast. Perrie appeared worried, but didn't ask any questions. Seeing the blonde's furrowed brow, Jade felt obliged to tell her that she had a brief meeting with the council she needed to attend.

Jade met with Master Yoda via holoprojector. Protocol required she report back to the council, confirm her landing and provide any additional information she had learned since arriving. She had next to nothing to tell. The entire time she spoke, Master Yoda's eyes were narrowed as if he were examining her closely.

"On your mind, something is." He said after she finished.

It wasn't a question. Even an entire system away, Master Yoda could sense the younger Jedi's distress.

Jade told him about her dream. She had paused halfway through her retelling. On a split-second decision, she decided against mentioning the erotic scene with Perrie. 

The old Jedi nodded as she spoke. 

"Advise you to let go of your fears, I normally would but a special circumstance, this is. Protect the girl, you must. Your mind, clear it of emotion. Cloud your judgment, distress will. Meditate often, you should." 

Jade nodded in understanding, but said nothing. 

"Something else you wish to tell me?"

For a moment, Jade considered telling him the rest of her dream. But when her eyes met his, she only felt an overwhelming sense of shame and guilt. She shook her head.

"No, that's all. Thank you, Master."

They bid each other farewell and the little blue hologram image of Master Yoda blinked out of existence.

Jade wasted no time, heading downstairs in search of Perrie as soon as the the holoprojector turned off. She found the blonde sitting at one of the islands, datapad in one hand and a coffee mug in the other. Perrie hummed happily when her eyes met with Jade's.

"I have a couple of things I need to do for work. It's nothing really, just a quick look around the factory and that'll be it. After that I can show you around the city. Be ready in five minutes?" 

"Of course." Jade had responded. Not like she had a choice in the matter. Truth be told, she could do without a tour of Chandrila's capital city. It seemed like an opportune moment for an assassin to make their move, but Perrie seemed wildly excited about their little trip and Jade would not be the one to deny this girl of any happiness. With an inaudible sigh, she pulled her outer robe tighter over her shoulders.


	5. Chapter 5

The factory building was a ways away from Perrie's home, about a 15 minute walk. Their trek was silent for the most part, with Perrie making a few comments here and there; An offhand statement about the weather or an apology for the long walk. Jade had kept a pace or two behind her for the sole reason of keeping an eye on her. Her dream had incited such apprehension that she feared an attack even in broad daylight.

Perrie wasn't lying when she said she wouldn't take long. Jade followed Perrie into the building, climbing up to a flight of stairs to a control room. From the room, they could oversee the work being done. As Perrie checked numbers with one of the head managers, Jade stood in front of the glass windows, watching the scene unfold. Hundreds of workers, dozens of them different species, were at work. They manned machines, surveyed the processing and packaging of foodstuffs, and hauled containers to transport starships. A faded symbol of the Galactic Republic was stamped on nearly everything.

Jade was impressed by the enormity and efficiency of the company, so much so that she didn't hear Perrie the first time she said her honorific. It wasn't until the second, "Master Jedi?" that Jade acknowledged her. With a quiet, "My apologies, Miss Edwards." Jade followed her out of the command room.

\----------

Perrie, obviously relieved about having no more work to be done, had talked incessantly on their way back into town. And at some moment during their walk back, Jade found herself replying to Perrie's little quips and questions. Jade had been taught about interrogation techniques when she lived at the Temple. Not once did they mention pretty girls with kind eyes and bubbly personalities.

However, it was unfair to compare Perrie to the likes of a Separatist interrogator. She was curious, yes, but tactful. She was careful to never cross the line, but only occasionally put a toe or two over it.

Much to Jade's displeasure, the pair of them seemed to be quite popular. When they reached town, they were met with cobblestone streets, hushed voices, and a variety of responses. Some stared. Those few who were friendly with Perrie gave her polite smiles, a tip of the hat here, a curt bow there. As they made their way down the sidewalk, most averted their eyes or pretended to be busy with something else. It seemed no one wanted to look at the girl with dead parents and her Jedi.

No one made eye contact with Jade but as she passed, she could feel their eyes on her.

The citizens of Chandrila regarded her with interest. She couldn't determine whether it was because she was a Jedi or because of her accent. It was thick, making it hard for her to be understood at times. Compared to the chandrilans, Jade was an obvious outsider.

Perrie appeared unbothered. They were nearing the town square when she leaned towards Jade, whispering a quick, "Please don't mind them. They don't mean to be rude. Besides, there's someplace I want to show you."

Jade wanted to protest, to assure Perrie that she was used to being ostracized. Alienation and Jediism were a package deal. But she held her tongue when Perrie pulled her into a small cafe.

It was a charming little place. It wasn't packed, but there were just enough people to make it feel a bit lively. Perrie and Jade sat at a cozy table in the corner, the brunette's back to the wall and eyes on the door.

After a few minutes, a waiter came to take their orders. He greeted them with a friendly smile and judging by Perrie's reaction, it was clear the two were familiar with each other.

"Ah, Miss Edwards. How is it that you grow more beautiful every time I see you?" He grinned at her, placing both his palms down on the table to lean a bit closer to the blonde.

Jade stared at the man, her hand unconsciously pulling at her outer cloak to reveal the lightsaber attached to her belt. It caught the man's eye and he stood up straight at the sight of it. Perrie evidently didn't notice their interaction as she made no comment about it.

"Oh, I don't have time for your sweet talking, Louis. I haven't had a thing all day and I am starving."

"You'll be having your usual, then?" He asked, the a smile now back on his face.

"Of course. And my friend will be having the same thing." Perrie replied.

Tucking his datapad into his pocket, the man left without another word.

"He a friend of yours?" Jade found herself asking.

"Something like that. I come here a lot."

When their food arrived, they ate in near silence. Jade, despite being a little apprehensive at Perrie choosing her meal for her, enjoyed the salad immensely. She was secretly grateful that there was no meat in her meal. She would have felt awkward having to admit she was vegetarian, as it was customary for Jedi, with a full plate of Rokarian dirt-fish or Rancor ribs before her.

When they had finished, Perrie left a generous tip and gave Louis a quick wave before leaving.

They hadn't taken two steps out of the building before stopping, having been halted by a downpour of rain. The previously bustling streets were now deserted, everyone having taken cover from the storm.

"Oh dear..." Perrie sighed. "And I don't have my umbrella with me..."

The two girls looked out at the rain from under the awning. Almost immediately, Jade removed her outer robe and held it towards Perrie.

"Here. This'll keep you dry."

"You're too kind, Jade. I'll be fine. A little rain won't kill me." The blonde protested.

"Please, I insist."

Perrie hesitated before taking the robe and allowing Jade to help her put it on. Despite their slight difference in height, the robe fit well. With a smirk, Perrie whipped the hood over her head and took off. The blonde ran full force into the downpour, her laughter loud enough to be heard over the pounding rain.

Something in Jade stirred. Perrie laughed and Jade knew, sure as there were stars in the galaxy, that she would never be the same without it.

Jade wasted no time in running after her.

\---------- 

By the time they reached Perrie's house, Jade was soaked. It was as if she had been pushed into the Silver Sea rather than gone out for a walk that ended prematurely due to unfortunate weather. She stood in the foyer, leaving a puddle where she stood. Her robes were soaked. Not an inch of her body had been spared from the storm.

Jade could only remember one other time she had been this sopping wet, the time she was posted on the Outer Rim planet, Jabiim. She was Commander Thirlwall there, not yet a General due to her Padawan status, but she lead a troop of clones just the same. They had dug themselves into trenches and positioned there under heavy fire. After a few days of constantly being fired upon by a droid army and having barely gained any land, her troops were beginning to lose hope.

That's when the rain came.

It came down on them like waves on the shore but they all welcomed it. Pinned down in the trenches, there was no where to go but at least the rain had drowned out the rats. By the time the storm had let up, they were all standing in three feet of water.

They had won that battle, though Jade never considered it a victory. She lost a third of her men that day. She still remembers their names. And not just the customary serial numbers assigned to them at creation but their names. Names they had been given or had given themselves.

"Look at you, you must be freezing..."

Perrie's sudden words had snapped Jade out of her musings. The blonde appeared more or less dry, Jade's thick outer robe having taken the brunt of the storm.

"C'mon upstairs then. I'll draw you a hot bath."

Jade followed Perrie upstairs, parting ways to grab her spare change of robes while Perrie ran the water. When Jade entered the washroom, Perrie was gone.

The brunette stripped off her over and under tunic, leaving on only a thin undershirt and pants. The fabric clung to her skin, emphasizing her small and wiry frame.

The Jedi was squeezing water out of her clothing in the sink when she heard Perrie at the door. She was leaning against the frame of the door, an amused smile on her face.

"You're very skinny for a Jedi." She said.

"Beg your pardon?" Jade spat out quickly.

The blonde shrugged. "I just wouldn't think as a Jedi, you would be as thin as you are."

There was a long pause.

"Are you teasing me?"

At that, Perrie broke out into a fit of giggles.

"Of course not. Wouldn't it be unwise to tease a Jedi?"

"Aye, you are teasing me. Look at that grin on your face."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Perrie replied, still laughing. "Take your bath, Jade. Here, I'll get your clothes hanging so they'll dry out."

And with that Jade was left alone in the room, the steam from the bath thick and obscuring the faint blush in her cheeks.


	6. Chapter 6

After her bath Jade made her way downstairs, passing a cleaning droid on the way. She paused temporarily to watch it suck away at puddles of water the two girls had left behind.

When Jade reached the bottom of the stairs she found Perrie sitting on the sofa by the fireplace. Orange flames flickered behind the grated ray shield. Jade sat beside her.

"Thanks for drawing me a bath. And for lunch. And for the whole day, really."

Perrie beamed at her. "Oh, you don't need to thank me. It was my pleasure."

Jade couldn't stop the small smile on her face from spreading.

"I've been meaning to ask you. Your accent... are you from Stewjon?"

"Aye, I am." Jade replied, allowing herself a chuckle. "Is it that obvious?"

Perrie grinned. "Half the planet wouldn't have a clue as to what you're saying. Lucky for you, I'm actually from Stewjon as well."

"You're joking."

"I'm not. My family lived there when I was young but we moved to Chandrila to take over my grandparents' business." The blonde trailed off. "I hardly remember it now, it's been so long. Do you--"

"I don't." Jade cut her off, already knowing what she was about to ask. "They took me to the Temple when I was a child."

"What about your parents?" There was that look on her face again. Concern, but this time it was mingled with pity.

"I- I think me mam's name was Norma..." Jade shook her head. "I don't remember what they look like. What their voices sound like. Anything. I don't even know if they're still alive. But that doesn't really matter because I'll never see them again. It's against the way of the Jedi. They may as well be dead."

Something told Jade she shouldn't have said that last part.

It took all her strength to keep her voice from shaking as she spoke. Anger and grief were seeping into her chest. Of all times, it was now she felt vulnerable. If she wasn't careful, she knew her emotions would get the better of her. Her master had always said, "Mind your compassion, Jade, for it is a double-edged sword. You must learn to carry this Universe or you will be crushed by it. You are strong enough to love the world, but you have yet to be empty enough to be able to share your bed with the worst of its sufferings." Jade's expression didn't show it, but she would have loved nothing more than to crawl into a black corner of the galaxy and never come out.

"Jade, I... I am so sorry. That is unbelievably awful. I can't even begin to imagine what that's like..." Perrie had no such luck in hiding her feelings. Her voice held the tell-tale shake of someone about to cry and when Jade looked at her, her blue eyes shone with tears.

Jade took her hand, holding it between her own. It had just now occurred to her how similar they were. They shared not just their homeworld, but the same story of loss, of perseverance through hardship, of fulfilling duty in spite of the pain they felt. Above all, the war had made orphans of them both.

She looked at Perrie, her heart sinking when she saw the tears streaming down the other girl's cheeks.

Jade's words were desperate, fearing that if she watched Perrie cry any longer, then she would begin to weep as well. "Perrie, please don't cry. I'm fine wi-"

"Have you ever watched someone die? Right in front of you?"

Surprised by the sudden change of topic, Jade didn't reply immediately. She had seen plenty of people die. She had held people as they died. She had held her men, brave clones who were just following her command, as they died. Innocent citizens who were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Children. Too many times she had felt the change in weight of someone who was dead who used to be alive.

Jade just nodded. She didn't trust her voice.

Perrie stared into the fire as she spoke. "I watched them die... We were all just sitting there, havin' a laugh and then... their blood was everywhere. On the cushions, on the floor, on me... and, and--"

There was no getting the rest of her words out. She was sobbing, deep and grief ridden weeps that were only muffled when she shoved her face into the crook of Jade's neck.

She was talking about her parents. The Order did not disclose the details of the Edwards' deaths to Jade, but now she knew. She knew that Perrie was made to watch her parents die. Something in Jade broke.

So Jade held her. Both arms were wrapped around the blonde and Jade just held her and let her cry. Force knows how long they sat there before Perrie's sobs had subsided and then ceased completely, indicating that she had finally fallen asleep. It was only then that Jade allowed tears of her own to fall.

\---------

Jade woke first.

To the Jedi's embarrassment, Perrie had fallen asleep on top of her. It seemed that in their sleep, the two girls had shifted so that they were laying across the couch. Perrie's head lay on Jade's chest, her slow, even breaths tickling Jade's neck. Looking at Perrie, she could see the dark streaks where her make-up had run.

Despite the blonde's unkempt appearance, what with the bed head and the cried off make-up, Jade couldn't help but smile. This was the calmest she had ever seen Perrie. There was something endearing in watching someone else sleep.

But regardless of how cozy the situation was, Jade found herself effectively trapped beneath the blonde both held down by the weight on top of her and the arms snaked around her waist.

She feigned sleep. Jade could already imagine how much she'd make a fool of herself if Perrie had woken up and seen Jade staring at her. However, with the combination of a late night and the warmth of the couch, Jade found herself drifting back to sleep.

When she woke again, Perrie was gone. Jade felt relieved but a small part of her had wished she stayed.

Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Jade got up and headed to the kitchen. She was greeted by a fresh-faced Perrie.

There was no ignoring what had happened last night. Jade and Perrie had exchanged their grief like an emotional currency and had bought each other's trust, each other's devotion. The two girls came to an unspoken agreement. They were confidants, kindred spirits. In one short night, they had become the closest of friends.

Their conversations were now free of awkwardness. Jade had told Perrie more about herself than she had told anyone and had done so easily. Before now, she had no one to tell her troubles to. Even her own master did not know the full extent of Jade's struggles.

The only elephant in the room was the single occurrence of nighttime... cuddling. Just thinking of it made Jade's face grow hot. Whether Perrie was as embarrassed as she was, Jade had no idea. She was just thankful that it was not brought up as she became flustered at the mere memory.

\---------

The rest of summer passed by without much incident. Jade's contact with the Order had decreased significantly, to the point where she hardly touched base with them at all. Her time had been completely occupied by Perrie. Her days were spent tailing Perrie as she worked or ran errands and her nights were spent in Perrie's company as well, whether it was something exciting like a night out in the city or a simple conversation by the fire.

The first day of fall, Perrie came into Jade's room, a red sweater in her hand. She offered it to Jade under the guise that it no longer fit her. Jade was reluctant to accept it knowing that Jedi were forbidden from accepting gifts. But when Perrie's face twisted into a pout, Jade couldn't say no.

Jade knew she would never wear the sweater, but she treasured it nonetheless. For one, the sweater was heavy with Perrie's scent. Not the perfume she sometime wore, but her natural fragrance that was so pure and lovely Jade couldn't even begin to describe it. The first few nights, she fell asleep with the sweater tucked underneath her nose.

 

In public, Jade kept her reserved front but in the privacy of Perrie's home, she found herself becoming more and more casual in the way she presented herself. She smiled easier and laughed louder, all because of Perrie's influence. Nothing between the two girls had changed, besides an increase in lingering touches and stolen glances between them.

As for Jade's relationship with Perrie, she simply didn't think of it. Jade no longer contemplated the consequences of attachment. There was nothing in the Code against having friends. She cared for Perrie. They had been through too much, shared too much of themselves to not, at the very least, have some fondness for each other. 

But there were times when she caught herself daydreaming about the swell of Perrie's hips or the smoothness of her skin that made Jade wonder if at some point she had crossed the line.

\--------- 

"The Harvest Festival is tonight." 

The two girls were sitting in the kitchen enjoying a late breakfast.

"Is that why you didn't go into work this morning?" Jade asked.

Perrie nodded. 

"No one works the day of the festival. It's Chandrila's biggest celebration so everyone takes the day off to get set up. I can't wait to see what they have going on tonight. Last year there were live bands and the farmers market and vendors coming from out of town to sell and so much food, you wouldn't believe it."

She looked at Jade, the faintest twinkle in her eyes.

"They had fireworks too. I hope they have them this year. They really are lovely, the way they light up the sky and everything. And it's even better when you're watching them with someone special."

She wasn't looking at Jade. Instead she was poking at her oatmeal with her spoon, very focused on shifting it around the bowl. If Perrie was trying to hide her smile, she wasn't doing a very good job.

"It sounds like a lot of fun, but..." Jade trailed off. She could feel it, a disturbance in the Force. It was faint, like something lurking in the shadows. Like the dream she had all those weeks ago when she first arrived to Chandrila. The malignancy of the Dark Side of the Force had planted its seed of doubt and fear. Jade could feel it gnawing at her insides.

"But?" 

Perrie's face had fallen, her brows knitted together in confusion and disappointment.

Jade did not want to go to the festival. Her intuition, the Force, everything was telling her that there was danger just around the corner. If she contacted the Order, they would forbid them from leaving Perrie's home and perhaps send a second Jedi for support. 

Jade shook her head when Perrie looked at her with pleading eyes, because she could deny Perrie nothing; even less when it involved robbing Perrie of something she truly looked forward to.

"It's nothing," Jade said dismissively. "We'll have loads of fun. I'm sure of it."

 

That evening, Jade and Perrie went to the festival. 

Jade was cautious, her mind occupied by the threat of danger looming over their heads. She occasionally reached down to her belt to grip her lightsaber, just to make sure it was still there.

But as always, Jade could never remain serious with Perrie for too long. The blonde always found a way to get Jade to stop worrying, stop thinking, and just enjoy herself.

They visited the little shops and stands that vendors had set up. Jade spent the last of her credits on a necklace for Perrie, quickly shoving it in her pocket with the idea of giving it to the blonde at the end of the night.

After that, they watched the live band, Jade laughing as Perrie danced shamelessly in the crowd. At one point, Perrie had grabbed Jade's hands pulling her closer, swinging their arms and swaying her hips in an attempt to get Jade to dance with her. Jade indulged Perrie for a good ten seconds before shaking her head, red-faced and laughing.

It was the most fun Jade ever had and it wasn't even halfway over.

Night rolled around and the two girls made their way to the town square, just in time to see the beginning of the fireworks show.

A burst of color lit up the darkening sky. The dazzling greens and reds and blues easily outshone the rising moon. The crowd of people cheered as yellow and bright white sparks splattered across the sky like a splash of paint. Orange fireworks faded into purple and the sky thundered as more fireworks were shot off.

Jade was startled at first. With the loud booms of the fireworks and the sky lighting up with bright flashes, she was taken back to her times on the battlefield. She felt her pulse quicken and the urgent need to ignite her saber, the fear and anticipation rising in her chest.

Until Perrie took her hand. The simple gesture was enough to pull Jade back to reality. Jade whispered her a tiny, "Thank you."

The two girls watched the fireworks for a few more minutes until Jade felt Perrie's breath on her ear.

"Jade, there's something I need to tell you." 

Jade turned to face her.

And Perrie's mouth was moving but Jade didn't hear a word she said because there was someone behind the blonde with a blaster to her head.


	7. Chapter 7

Jade had never moved so fast in her life.

A single beat of her heart passed between the time it took for her to register what was happening, register that there was a man with a blaster to Perrie's head about to pull the trigger and the time it took for her to ignite her lightsaber. The crowd scattered at the sight of the weapon, its green blade drawing more attention than any firework.

In the blink of an eye, Jade had shoved Perrie away from the man and dismembered his hand with a spin of her wrist, but not before he could fire off a single bolt from his pistol. The orange-red plasma lit up the square before burying itself in Jade's shoulder. Jade let out a cry as the bolt knocked her slightly off balance. She immediately brought her other hand to clutch at her shoulder where the blaster shot had burned through her robes. She could feel her skin already blistering. Jade was just thankful it was not her dominant arm that had taken the blow.

The would-be killer screamed as he clutched the stump where his hand once was. He fell to his knees, now at the mercy of the young Jedi. She brought her lightsaber down on him, the tip of its blade slicing across his chest just enough to cut through his skin. The man let out another howl of pain.

Jade's eyes blazed. She was a flurry of mixed emotions. Furious, fearful, yet empowered. For the first time, she had the unadulterated desire to kill. With the blade of her lightsaber dangerously close to the man's head, she felt a rush of power. Cold, harsh, and raw.

She flinched visibly, though there were no external incentives that caused her to. It was the sudden surge of malign power she shied away from. The power of the Dark Side.

Her hand tightened around the hilt of her saber, eyes shutting as she focused on blocking out the presence of evil. She kept her voice as steady as possible.

"In the name of the Galactic Senate of the Republic, you are under arrest."

The influence of the Dark Side was subsiding, though she still felt the shadow of hate in the recesses of her mind.

The square was silent as the crowd of people watched, all eyes trained on Jade and the man. Someone had turn on the floodlights of the cafe, harshly illuminating the square. Perrie was just behind her, her hand on the small of Jade's back as a means to comfort her.

The silence was broken by the man's labored cackling. His remaining hand inched towards the hem of his shirt. He winced as he managed to pull it up, revealing the bomb that was strapped to his stomach.

"Looks like I win this time, Jedi scum." He practically spat the last word. His hand reached to press a small red button on the underside of the bomb. Red numbers blinked on. Five seconds.

Chaos ensued. The crowd of people scattered, shoving and pushing each other out of the way in an attempt to escape.

Jade withdrew her lightsaber with a wince. Her wounded arm hung limp beside her.

She held her undamaged arm towards the man, brow furrowed as she concentrated. In her mind she envisioned a Force barrier, surrounding the man with a wall of Force energy. She knew in her weakened state the barrier would not be enough to stop the bomb. All that mattered to her was minimizing the damage.

In one last desperate attempt to keep her safe, Jade thrust the same hand out at Perrie, using the Force to push her away. The blonde flew back and landed several yards away.

Jade turned her attention back to the man just in time to see the digital clock reach zero. Then everything went black.

\----------

Jade woke up in her bed. She tried to shift up onto her elbows, but stopped herself. She was incredibly sore. And not the somewhat satisfying soreness she often had after doing training drills for hours and hours at the Temple, but the painful aching after being beaten to a bloody pulp. That had happened to Jade only once, during an unintended scuffle with Black Sun pirates. Jade had learned her lesson against fighting when she was outnumbered twenty to one.

She looked down at her body. Aside from the thick bandages wrapped around her upper torso, she was topless. No shirt, no bra, nothing. Just the off-white bandages. From below her collar bones to just above her bellybutton, Jade was covered in wrappings. Her forearms and left upper arm were dressed as well. The gauze that covered her left shoulder was soaked yellow with pus. Looking at it made her feel slightly ill. The rest of her body, the parts not covered in bandages, were painted black and blue from bruises.

The curtains were drawn, but a sliver of light shone between them. Jade could just make out the empty bacta canisters that littered the room, the majority of them piled on the desk.

Asleep at the desk was Perrie.

She looked exhausted. She did not have the serene look she had the last time Jade had watched her sleep. There were dark circles under her eyes, which had sunken in a bit, giving her a gaunt look.

Jade wished she could have let Perrie sleep, but she had questions that needed answers. And if nothing else, she was sure Perrie would be glad to see her conscious.

"Perrie."

Her voice was hoarse, seemingly from lack of use.

Perrie stirred, one of her hands coming up to rub her eyes. Jade called her name again. The blonde's eyes opened slowly before widening suddenly.

"Jade! You're awake." Perrie practically scrambled out of her chair, the look on her face one of absolute relief. She knelt at the side of the bed, grabbing hold of Jade's hand.

"You look absolutely awful." Jade said, letting out a chuckle before wincing. It hurt to laugh.

"I could say the same to you." Perrie replied, her eyes scanning Jade's face. "You had me so worried... How are you feeling?"

"I've been better. What-- what happened exactly?" Jade almost didn't want to ask. "I remember the bomb going off and then... nothing."

"Well," Perrie began, "The bomb went off and... Jade, you should have died. I don't know what you did but the police say all the heat from the blast was contained in one area somehow so that's why you weren't vaporized on the spot. But, you were thrown by blast. There's a nice Jade-shaped hole in the side of the cafe now."

"That explains all this, then." Jade gestured to her practically mummified body. "Are you okay?"

Perrie looked equal parts surprised and amused. 

"You're absolutely ridiculous, you know that, right? You've got about three broken ribs and I've never seen somebody so bruised in my life and you're wondering if I'm okay." She paused to bite her lip. "I'm fine, Jade."

"How long was I out?"

"Two days. I was so worried, Jade. I wasn't sure if you'd make it. I've changed your bandages everyday so nothing gets infected. The bacta is working pretty well but your shoulder... it's not looking too good."

"You did this?" Jade asked, referring to the bandages.

Perrie nodded. "They're not too tight, are they?"

"No, they're... fine."

Perrie had been the one to treat her wounds. By the looks of it, it must have taken a very long time to do and undo each wrapping. Cleaning the pus out of the burn wound on her shoulder couldn't have been much fun either. All of a sudden, it dawned on Jade that if Perrie was the one dressing and re-dressing her wounds, then she had undoubtedly seen her naked. Jade felt her face go hot.

"Are you alright? You look flushed. Do you want me to get you a cold washcloth?" Perrie had evidently noticed the color of Jade's face change.

"Yes. Please." Jade answered quickly.

Jade let out an audible groan the second the blonde left the room. Her entire body burned with embarrassment.

Perrie came back a few minutes later with a damp cloth. She knelt back down beside the bed. Jade reached for the cloth with her good arm, but Perrie shook her head, pulling the cloth out of Jade's reach.

"I've got it." She said as she began dabbing Jade's forehead with the washcloth. Jade let out a sigh. She had not realized how feverish she truly was.

"I hope you don't mind I kept your shirt off. You were really warm and you broke out in a sweat last night so I just..." She trailed off with a shrug.

"That's fine." Jade answered. "It's probably for the better."

After a minute or two, Perrie lay the cloth across Jade's forehead before grabbing Jade's hand to hold it between her own. The two sat in silence. Perrie stared at nothing in particular, as if distracted by her thoughts. Jade could tell she wanted to say something but for whatever reason, she couldn't bring herself to. Jade wondered if it had anything to do with what she was going to say that night during the fireworks.

While the silence between them was not awkward, Jade still felt the need to break it.

"Thank you for taking care of me."

Perrie's eyes snapped back to Jade, meeting the brunette's words with a soft smile.

"You don't need to thank me. You saved my life, after all."

Jade gave Perrie's hand a squeeze, returning the smile with one of her own.

"My doctor is coming in tonight to take a look at you. I'll let you get some rest, okay?"

When Jade gave no objections, Perrie smiled before pulling Jade's hand up to her lips to place a quick kiss on the back of it. She left the room without another word.

 

Jade did not want to sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, she was bombarded with the reality of the situation.

Perrie could have died that day. The thought alone was enough to make her insides feel as if they were freezing over. The memory of the blaster against her head made Jade's blood run cold. Jade recalled her dream, which now seemed like she had it years ago, and how the lifelessness in Perrie's eyes had made cold chills run down her spine.

What would Jade have done if the assassin had succeeded? She could no longer imagine a life without Perrie. There was no more denying it, no more wishing these feelings away.

Jade was in love with her. And she had only realized it by coming so close to losing her.

A part of her felt that she had always known she was in love with Perrie. Had known since they first met, or maybe even long before. Jade once met an old Cathar woman who told her of an ancient belief held by her people, one they had passed down through the centuries. The old woman had said that in the beginning of time, all beings' souls were once one. Cosmic energy, the Living Force, whatever it was, held them together. But when the universe exploded into existence, the soul fragmented, shattering into billions and billions of souls. Her people believed that when two people fell in love, it was because of their souls' desire to be whole once more.

Jade remembered how the old lion-faced woman had looked at her, a twinkle in her big round eyes and a sad smile stretching her grayed muzzle.

"Some souls never stop trying to become one again." She had said, placing a paw on the young Jedi's shoulder.

Perrie's and I's souls must have been very close together at the beginning of everything, Jade now thought.

She felt an overwhelming urge to cry. Partly due to the relief of having finally admitted to herself that she was in love. But whatever relief she did feel was replaced by absolute shame. Grief was the price she paid for love.

She had failed. Failed the Order, failed her master, failed herself. How many times had she been told to train herself to let go of attachments? To shield herself from it because it led to jealousy and fear. Because ultimately, it was a path of suffering. A path to the Dark Side.

It was her love for Perrie that made her want to take someone's life. Jade knew this love would ruin her, and that she would let it.

She fell asleep knowing too well why love was forbidden for the Jedi.

\---------- 

"Jadey, wake up."

Perrie's voice was just above a whisper, quietly drawing Jade from her sleep.

"Doctor Pada will be here in an hour or two. I think it'd be a good idea for you to take a quick bath before he arrives. Is that alright?"

Jade let out a hum of agreement.

Perrie pulled the blanket off of Jade and helped her sit up. The Jedi swung her legs over the side of the bed. The floor was cold against her bare feet.

"If I'm hurting you, just tell me, okay?" Perrie said as she leaned over to wrap an arm around Jade's waist. Jade placed her arm around Perrie's neck before giving the blonde a quick nod.

"Okay then. One, two, three, and up." On the final word, Jade stood, mostly due to Perrie's help. The blonde was basically supporting the other girl's entire weight, which albeit wasn't much.

"Are you good?" Perrie asked, waiting for Jade as she steadied herself.

"I think so, yeah." Jade replied.

The two gingerly made their way out of the room and into the hall, only to enter Perrie's room. Jade had only ever been in there on a few occasions, the majority of which Perrie was asleep. When she herself couldn't sleep, Jade would sometimes peek through the half-closed door to Perrie's room to make sure everything was alright. Jade still vividly remembered the night she discovered that Perrie sometimes slept naked.

The bathroom was large, bigger than any bathroom needed to be. Again, the Edwards family seemed to have favored a more classic style as opposed to the sleek metal furnishings one often saw. The floor was tiled with mosaic artwork crafted into the floor. The bathtub itself was smaller than Jade expected. While certainly ornate, it couldn't have fit more than two people and even that would be a tight squeeze.

"Do you need my help?" Perrie asked after helping Jade down onto the chair that sat in front of the rather messy dressing table. 

"No." Jade answered quickly. 

"Alright. I'll be out here if you need me." And with that, she left.

Jade stood to look at herself in the full length mirror that hung on the wall. No wonder Perrie was so worried. Jade watched, almost in awe, as she unraveled the bandages on her body, wincing as she did so, to reveal the sickly wounds beneath them.

Her shoulder was by far the worst, if the smell was anything to go by. It would take more than bacta to heal whatever infection was already festering there. But if there had to be a second, it would be her back. Discolored bruises spanned across it, the deep blues and purples speckled with ghastly yellows, making it resemble that of a night sky filled with constellations. Well, save for the few patches where her skin had been rubbed raw, ugly pinkish wounds that were sticky with pus.

After taking in the full extent of her injuries, Jade stepped carefully into the bathtub. The worst part was easing herself down into the warm water which stung her open wounds. She sat with her back to the door. Immediately, she let out a groan. She had forgotten the soap and there was no way in Malachor she was getting out of this tub by herself. She turned as much as she could to look at the door.

"Perrie?" She called out hesitantly.

"Yeah?" The reply came from just behind the door.

"I-I think I need your help." 

The door opened slowly, allowing Jade just enough time to turn her head. She fixed her gaze on the faucet as she brought her good arm up to cover her chest.

"What's the matter?"

"It hurts to move too much so..." She muttered.

"You need help getting cleaned up?"

Jade nodded.

Jade heard fumbling behind her, the sound of Perrie grabbing soap and a washcloth, and then Perrie's footsteps nearing closer.

"J-just stay behind me, please." The Jedi added quickly as Perrie neared the edge of the tub. "It's just me back that I can't reach."

"Oh, now you're getting shy?" Perrie teased.

Jade let out a huff but didn't reply. Already her mouth was going dry.

Perrie knelt beside the tub. Out of the corner of her eye, Jade could see the blonde pulling up the sleeves of her sweater before taking the washcloth and immersing it in the water.

Jade stiffened as Perrie brought sweet smelling soap to her back. Perrie cooed softly in her ear, encouraging her to relax. Jade closed her eyes, drawing into herself, conscious of the ugly bruises covering her body.

Perrie wouldn't have scars, she thought. Her skin would be immaculate, like fresh silk, smooth and unblemished. Hands soft from never having to do a day of hard manual work. Nothing like Jade's hands, which were calloused from years of holding a weapon and shook whenever they held anything beautiful.

She was still washing Jade's back, making slow circles in her skin. It felt good. Perrie was soft with her touches, the epitome of gentleness. But soon Perrie was moving her fingers down Jade's back, making her shiver.

"What are you doing?" Jade asked quietly.

"Your tattoo. It's very... pretty." Her reply was hesitant, as if she had another word in mind. "You'll have to tell me what it means later."

Perrie's breath was hot on Jade's neck, making her shudder again. Jade turned her head to look at Perrie. Their faces were inches apart, so close that Jade was sure she could count every freckle on Perrie's cheeks if she was given the time. She might have done just that, sat there and counted Perrie's freckles, the ones on her face, her shoulders, her arms, had Perrie not drawn closer and pressed her lips against Jade's.

It was chaste at first, nothing but tenderness but even that was enough to make Jade's head spin. Her eyes fluttered closed as Perrie pushed closer, deepening the kiss. And when Perrie slipped her tongue between Jade's parted lips, the Jedi was sure she was going to die.

It was like drowning, in a way. Or at least, what Jade imagined drowning felt like, having never experienced it firsthand. But instead of water occupying every sense, every thought, filling up her lungs, it was Perrie. Perrie was the only real thing in the world.

Perrie dropped the washcloth, her hand now free to grip the back of Jade's neck. The brunette brought up a shaking hand to gently cup Perrie's face. It was awkward and messy, their teeth clattering against each other and noses bumping with every movement of their heads. To Jade, it was perfect.

 

Suddenly—

"Miss Edwards? It's Doctor Pada. I'm here for the appointment."

A voice came on over the intercom, startling both Jade and Perrie as they pulled away from each other. Perrie jumped up to the doorway to where the communication device was, pressing a button to reply.

"The door's open, Doctor. You can let yourself in." She answered. There was no disguising how out of breath she was. "We'll be down in a few minutes."

When Jade stole a glance at Perrie, the blonde was looking back at her with a satisfied smirk.


	8. Chapter 8

Waiting for them downstairs was an old Mirialan man, his olive green skin wrinkled with age. His face was covered with dozens of tattoos, rows of tiny black dots that formed two lines which ran parallel down his face, passing through his eyes.

"Miss Edwards. Master Jedi." He greeted with a smile, bowing his head reverently to Jade.

"Hello, Doctor." Perrie said after helping Jade into one of the big armchairs. "How are you today?"

Fine, just fine." He replied. "I'm glad you holomessaged me when you did. I was just about to go off-world to visit some relatives. You caught me just in time."

"I'm sorry for making you postpone your trip."

"Oh, don't worry, dear. It's no trouble, really. Besides, it's not often one gets a meet a Jedi." He turned to face Jade. "It truly is an honor to make your acquaintance. I hope you will find my service to be satisfactory. Let's take a look then, shall we?"

Jade shed her outer robe, revealing only a thin undershirt and the bandages. He started by taking her pulse, commenting that her heart rate was unusually fast. The doctor hm'd and aha'd as he prodded at Jade, his thin fingers carefully pressing at various parts of her body. When he slowly peeled the bandage off of Jade's shoulder, even he couldn't hold back a grimace.

"Blaster burn. Do you know the model of the weapon?"

"KYD-21, maybe. I'm not exactly sure."

"No matter." He said with a shake of his head, rummaging through his handbag and pulling out a tiny bottle and handing it to Perrie. "Have her take these twice a day, one in the morning and one at night. They'll fight off the infection and you'll back fighting the Separatists before you can say 'May the Force be with you'." He let out a hoarse chuckle. Jade laughed along hesitantly, shooting a glance at Perrie.

"That's great, Doctor. Anything else?" The blonde asked.

"Bed rest, I'd say. Maybe slap on some bacta if it's really hurtin' ya. A strong Jedi like you should be fine in no time."

"You hear that?" Perrie said, nudging Jade. "No more being a hero for a while."

"I'll try to refrain." She replied, eliciting a laugh from Perrie.

Perrie thanked the doctor for coming in on such short notice and with a vigorous parting handshake with Jade, he was gone.

It was late by the time they finished so after getting Jade back into bed, Perrie brought her a small dinner and the pill she was to take before heading to bed. Jade left the half-eaten salad on the bedside table.

\----------

Jade couldn't sleep. In a way, she was thankful. Restless nights were a free pass from nightmares and premonitions. Seeing as her last dream had come close to occurring, she was not eager for anymore glimpses of the future, as helpful as they may be. She would rather leave the foresight to Master Yoda.

It did however, give her the opportunity to overthink. Laying in bed with nothing but her thoughts was beyond torture. It wasn't long before she picked up the makeshift crutch Perrie had left by her bedside and hauled herself downstairs.

She made her way on to the porch outside the kitchen, hoping that the fresh air would help her clear her mind. There was so, so much on her mind. She stood, leaning against the railing as a means of support. Her eyes closed in an attempt to meditate. The action felt foreign to her. No matter how hard she tried, she could not seem to empty her mind. The more she aimed to dismiss her thoughts, the more focused they became. Her feelings for Perrie, that night under the fireworks (before it all went to hell), the kiss.

The kiss, the kiss, the kiss.

The singular greatest moment of her life was not creating her lightsaber with her own two hands, not leading troops to victory on damaged battlegrounds, not rising to the rank of Jedi Knight at the young age of 23. No, the greatest moment of her life had been kissing a pretty girl she had met and fallen in love with on a quiet planet in the Bormea Sector.

She was in the midst of meditating, or at least trying to, when she felt a hand at her lower back.

"Did I wake you?" Jade asked, not looking at Perrie. She kept her eyes downcast, afraid of what she would do if she met Perrie's gaze.

"Oh, no. I was just getting up to get a glass of water when I saw you. Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine."

Perrie was quiet for a moment.

"Jade, please don't lie to me. This is about the kiss, isn't it?"

Jade nodded, hot tears welling up in her eyes as she struggled to swallow the lump in her throat. For once, Jade cursed the fact that she wore her heart on her sleeve and no amount of proverbial outer robes could cover it up.

"I'm sorry, Jade. That was... out of line. I let my feelings get the better of me."

"Your feelings?" Jade asked, finally looking at Perrie.

Jade may have worn her heart on her sleeve, but Perrie wore hers in her eyes. Perhaps the price she paid for having such beautiful eyes was that she could not lie with them.

"I love you, Jade. I was going to tell you that the night of the Harvest Festival."

Jade shook her head, pulling away from Perrie. "The Order is all I've ever known. I can't just walk away from it."

"I'm not asking you to. This doesn't have to be anything more if you don't want it to be."

"But I do want it. I want it more than anything and I know I shouldn't." Her arms shook, knuckles white as she gripped the railing. "I love you but I'm not supposed to. I know I shouldn't but I love you anyway." She doubled over, silent sobs wracking her body. "What kind of Jedi am I?"

"You're a great Jedi, Jade. Love makes you stronger, not weaker."

Jade's face twisted angrily, hot tears streaming down her cheeks.

"If that were true, I'd be the strongest of them all."

It was now of all times that Jade recalled an old legend told to younglings, spoon fed to them until they could say it in their sleep. The legend was this. The Jedi who fell in love was doomed for tragedy. They would have to watch their lover die, almost always by the Jedi's own hand. By their arrogance, greed, or lust for power. The images from her dream of Perrie's lifeless body flashed in her mind and Jade thought that maybe she was wrong about her dream not having come to fruition. Maybe she spoke too soon.

"Jade, forget the Order for a minute. I know that's hard to do," She added quickly after Jade flashed her an insulted look. "But what do you want, Jade? Do you want this?"

"More than anything."

Perrie moved close to her again, a hand gently reaching out to wipe away the remnants of tears. "Then we'll make this work. We can keep it a secret. Nobody needs to know."

"That's not fair to you. You should be with someone who's hand you can hold in the middle of the street. A love you don't have to hide from the world. That's the least you deserve and I can't give you that."

"If I recall correctly, I have held your hand in the middle of the street." Perrie said, voice soft as she slid her hand beneath Jade's, intertwining their fingers. "I don't want anyone but you. Jade, if you're willing to risk everything just to be with me, the least I can do is not go blabbing about my illicit relationship with a Jedi."

The word struck her right where it hurts and Jade felt another wave of tears coming on. She was a Jedi. She had never been anything else, could never be anything else. There was no way she'd leave the Order. The Order had granted her so much; friends, people she regarded as family, a purpose in life. It had given her too much for her to just leave it all behind. But would she be able to live with the guilt of breaking one of the most central rules of the Code? Which was worse, just leaving the people who had given her everything they had or betraying the ideals of the very Code she swore to uphold?

"What does it matter. This'll all be over someday. Whoever's trying to kill you will be caught and I'll be reassigned and we'll never see each other again." Jade's eyes were scrunched tight in an attempt to hold back the fresh wave of tears but there was no stopping them. The thought of leaving Perrie for good was heartbreaking. "There's still a war to fight, Perrie."

"Then I'll go with you."

"Don't talk like that." Perrie had been through enough. Jade decided that a long time ago. Dragging her through the war would just be plain cruel.

"Jade, we don't need to have everything figured out in one night. Coruscant wasn't built in a day."

They were silent for a while as Jade calmed herself, aided by Perrie rubbing smooth circles in her back.

"So where do we go from here?" Jade asked. In all honesty, she felt lost. But when she looked into Perrie's eyes, saw the hopeful light in them, she felt a little less so.

"I think we should go back to bed."

"You know what I mean."

Perrie smiled, but she could not hide the uncertainty in her eyes. "I don't know. We'll take it day by day. But it'll all work out in the end, I'm sure of that. So, cheer up, babe. Come on."

She offered a hand. Jade took it, her other hand grabbing the crutch from where it was leaning against the railing. The two made their way upstairs.

But instead of splitting off into their separate rooms, Perrie pulled Jade into her own. Jade followed, too exhausted physically and emotionally to argue. Pulling back the blankets, Perrie helped Jade into the bed before crawling in after her. Perrie's hand searched for Jade's, finding it under one of the Avogwi-feather pillows. Jade heard Perrie emit a small sigh.

"Perrie?"

"Hmm?" The blonde replied, her voice muffled from the pillow.

"Do you believe that some people are meant to be together? Like soulmates?"

Perrie sat up on her elbows, turning to look at Jade. "Do you?"

Jade was quiet for a moment before answering.

"I'm starting to."

\----------

The world had grown cold by the time Jade's injuries healed. Chandrila was well known for being a temperate planet, so cool autumns faded into gentle winters without complaint. The mornings had the tendency to be nippy and the nights could be uncomfortably cold, but it was nothing a thick robe or hot bath couldn't fix.

Jade's bruises had faded, her body no longer marred by the discoloration. The only evidence of that night left on her skin was the burn scar on her shoulder. The doctor's medicine had worked wonders and while she no longer felt any pain, there was a stiffness to her shoulder she did not recall having before. Jade cared little about the physical marks left on her body. They were covered up easily by layers of Jedi robes. She was excited about the healing of her broken ribs. She resented the restriction of only being able to sleep on her back and she couldn't walk up the stairs without a piercing pain in her side. Her recovery had given her the liberty of cuddling with Perrie at night when the fires burned out and the only warmth they had were the layers of blankets and each other.

Jade was, however, still a hesitant lover. Perrie understood this and met her uncertainty with gentle enthusiasm. She showered Jade in gradual acts of love. A quick kiss here, a sweet nothing whispered in her ear there. Jade lost count of how many times she had woken up to a half-awake Perrie running fingers through her soft brown hair. 

She could see it in Perrie's eyes; Perrie loved her deeply. Being loved had given Jade strength. Loving Perrie had given her courage. Not the valor she had been infamous for on the battlefield, but the bravery needed to look Perrie in the eye and tell her she loved her.

 

It wasn't long before they settled into a routine. It wasn't very different from how their life had previously been, prior to that late night confession. Jade still did was she had always done, dutifully following Perrie wherever she went. However, at the end of a long day instead of going their separate ways, the two girls shared Perrie's bed. Jade had long since abandoned the room across the hall.

Perrie emerged from her bathroom in only a towel, her hair twisted up in a bun. She went about the room, searching for a change of clothes. 

Jade's mouth fell open slightly. Her gaze had set on Perrie, her smooth back and the nape of her neck exposed because of the bun. The bottoms of her shoulder blades jutted out with every movement as the blonde rummaged through piles of dirty clothing in search for her pajamas. There was strange flutter in the pit of her stomach, an excitement she had never felt before. She swallowed thickly as she watched Perrie slip back into the bathroom, a light blue nightie in hand.

By the time Perrie returned, the feeling in Jade's stomach had subsided but the memory of it was fresh in her mind. 

Perrie crawled into the bed, placing a quick kiss on Jade's temple before rolling over to turn off the light. A part of Jade felt restless, like the experience earlier had energized her somehow. But the combination of a long day and the sweet smell of shampoo in Perrie's still wet hair had her falling asleep in no time.


	9. Chapter 9

Jade woke up in complete darkness. She could plainly see herself, but surrounding her she saw only black. There was nothing around her, absolutely nothing and then—

She saw herself, standing a few yards away. Except it couldn't be herself because she was herself. But there she was, her identical, her doppelganger, standing right before her. They looked almost exactly the same but at the same time, looked nothing alike. The Other Jade was different somehow. She held herself differently, haughtily almost. She had traded traditional tan and brown Jedi robes for ones of jet black and dark blue. The smirk on her face was vindictive, vicious even, and she had a long, thin scar across the bridge of her nose. When Jade met the Other Jade's hard stare, she saw glowing yellow eyes, the trademark of a Sith.

"Who are you?" Jade asked. Her voice didn't betray it, but she was terrified.

"Isn't it obvious?" The Other Jade said with a laugh, like the answer to Jade's question should have been evident. "I'm you, laserbrain. Well, a better version of you at least. Don't worry, you'll blossom into an infinitely powerful Sith Lord soon enough. Just give it time." The nonchalance of the Other Jade's statement shocked Jade, but her shock immediately turned into outrage.

"Me? A Sith Lord? That's impossible." Jade answered firmly, with a shake of her head. "I would never go to the Dark Side. I would die before I betrayed the Order, betrayed the Republic!" She was quickly growing agitated. The accusation from her supposed future self had unsettled her.

"What are you talking about, my dear self? You chose to be this way. You already chose this path."

"You're lying." Jade spat. She didn't, she wouldn't, she...

From behind the Other Jade, appearing from the shadows was Perrie. But it wasn't the real Perrie because it couldn't be the real Perrie, even though they looked exactly alike. The only difference was this Perrie wore her makeup darker, sharper. The Other Perrie practically draped herself over the Other Jade.

"But what do you want, Jade? Do you want this?" The Other Perrie said, looking at the Other Jade with bedroom eyes.

"More than anything." Came the Other Jade's reply, her voice mocking and her yellow eyes never leaving Jade. The two burst out in laughter. The sound made Jade feel sick to her stomach. Her doppelganger suddenly brushed off the Other Perrie, as if she was a nuisance, before walking towards Jade. Jade didn't move.

"You've already betrayed the Order. It's only a matter of time before you realize you've always been on the wrong side. Jade, the Sith don't care if you're in love with Perrie. Your passion makes you stronger, more focused. Join us and you won't have to hide your relationship with her. Isn't that what you want?"

"You're wrong. It takes strength to resist the Dark Side. Only the weak embrace it." She purposely ignored the comment about Perrie and their forbidden relationship. She would never admit it, but her identical was right about Jade not wanting to hide their relationship. She wished they could be open about their love. For Perrie's sake. It was always for Perrie's sake.

"I can feel your anger towards me, your hate. Those are tools of the Sith. We already have a lot in common."

"I'm nothing like you." Jade retorted through gritted teeth.

The Other Jade just laughed.

"Don't you wish. Just take a look at yourself."

And with her words, a mirror rose from the ground and settled in front of Jade's face. Jade didn't bother to see if her robes had changed or if she had the same scar on her nose. She could only see the same gold in her own eyes, the red-rimmed irises staring back at her, reflecting the fear she felt. She recoiled immediately, not wanting to see herself any longer. The mirror shattered as she did so, fragments of glass flying towards her. She brought up her arms to shield her face. When she lowered them, the Other Jade was barely a foot away from her.

"What's the matter? I think the eyes of the Sith are a good look on you."

Jade staggered backwards, trying to put some distance between herself and her doppelganger.

"I'm not afraid of you. You're just an illusion. A manifestation of the Dark Side trying to unbalance me. You can't hurt me."

"We'll see about that."

The Other Jade ignited her lightsaber, its red beam glowing bright and hot. She charged towards Jade, raising her weapon over her head, preparing to bring it down on her opponent.

Jade stood, fists clenched. Don't fight back, it's only an illusion. She can't hurt you because she isn't real! She thought, as the other girl rapidly approached her. But at the last moment, she couldn't stop herself from drawing her own lightsaber.

The green blade sprung to life and collided against red, the place where they met flashing white. Jade's malevolent identical pushed forward, the edge of her saber leering dangerously close to Jade's head. With a growl, Jade pushed back, knocking her adversary off balance. She followed up with a sweeping strike to her left which the Other Jade parried easily. Again, Jade went on the offensive, this time with a stab straight to the stomach. The Other Jade back-flipped high into the air to avoid the attack and skidded a few yards away.

Jade met the cold yellow stare of her other self, tightening the grip on her saber as she prepared for another attack. With an angry roar, the Other Jade charged once again. Jade met her halfway.

Spinning, whirling, crashing together, slashing and chopping, the two attacked each other, parrying, whipping and ripping the air around them with every swing of their lightsabers. For Jade, there was no stranger sensation than battling against her own exact fighting style. It was like fighting her reflection in a mirror.

The battle wore on. Jade's lightsaber hummed as it whooshed through the air and cracked loudly against the other girl's weapon. The Other Jade held her ground, holding them both at a stalemate. They were toe to toe, practically forehead to forehead, saber to saber. Jade sent a kick into her opponent's stomach.

It was unorthodox, but that was exactly why she did it. The two may have had identical fighting styles, but Jade retained just enough reckless spontaneity to draw out a win. And victory could not have come soon enough. While her identical seemed unfazed by any of the physical exertion she had just done, Jade was nearing the end of her limits. Every breath she took required effort and she felt on the verge of puking.

Enraged, the Other Jade charged at her again. Jade offhandedly thought that there was no way she was ever that predictable with her attacks. The doppelganger closed in and as she took a jab at Jade, the Jedi dis-ignited her saber and sidestepped the oncoming girl, grabbing her wrist as she did so. As Jade twisted her wrist, her opponent was forced to drop her weapon. The hilt clattered against the floor. The green blade of Jade's lightsaber hummed into existence once more. The action proved to be fraught.

Jade was caught off guard by the fist flying towards her face. It smashed into her nose and Jade swore she could hear it crunch beneath the other girl's knuckles. The Jedi stumbled backwards, her free hand hovering over her now bleeding nose. The thick red liquid poured from her nostrils, seeping out from between her fingers.

She heard the Other Jade laugh.

"You thought you had me beat, didn't you? Looks like you're not the only one who isn't above playing dirty."

Jade couldn't speak. The blood was dripping into her mouth and she found herself trying to spit it out.

"You don't know the power of the Dark Side. But I'd be glad to teach you."

With a sadistic grin, the Other Jade thrust out her hand, sending Jade flying. She hit something, hard, and fell on her stomach. Her lightsaber fell from her hand and Jade watched as the other girl kicked it away. Jade pushed herself up onto her hands and knees, coughing up blood. When she looked up, the Other Jade was standing over her. The Other Perrie was beside her. Her face was scrunched up in disgust, like Jade was the most pitiful thing she had ever seen.

With another thrust of her hand, blue lightening crackled out from the Other Jade's fingertips, striking Jade.

The pain was unbelievable. The broken nose and nausea earlier had been nothing. Even being caught in the bomb's blast was more like a mere scratch compared to this. Jade writhed on the floor as the electricity coursed through her, unable to stifle her screams of agony. The pain was so unreal, she couldn't even think. She was only aware of the torture, the blue flashing before her eyes, and the faint sound of the Other Perrie laughing. 

"Jade!" Perrie's voice called out.

She's mocking me, Jade thought hazily.

Perrie called her name again and for a moment, the lightning ceased. The pain was gone. But when she looked up, all she saw was the arc of a red lightsaber coming down on her head.

\----------

"Jade!"

The Jedi snapped awake, almost jumping out of the bed. Before she could register what was happening, where she was, she felt the cool metal of her lightsaber hilt in her hand and the green blade burst into existence.

"Babe, it's just me. Relax." Perrie was beside her. By the light of her saber, Jade could see the troubled expression on her face. With a soft hum, the saber was dis-ignited before she set it back on the bedside table. 

"Jade, are you okay? You were yelling and rolling around and—"

"Perrie? Perrie, look at me. Look at me eyes." Jade was frantic, her whole body shaking as she grabbed Perrie's shoulders. Perrie pulled away to turn on the bedside lamp.

"What about them?" She asked, brow furrowed as she searched Jade's face for an answer to her question.

"What do they look like?" Jade asked. Her heart felt like it was about to burst out of her chest, as if she really did just fight in a duel to the death.

Perrie squinted slightly.

"Brown, same as always... Jade, what happened? Bad dream?"

Jade sat back against the headboard, bringing a hand up to rub the bridge of her nose.

"Yeah. A dream. It was all just a dream."

"Do you want to talk about it? Babe, you're trembling." Perrie's eyebrows were knit together with concern.

"No, no. It was nothing. Really." Jade insisted, waving her hand dismissively.

Perrie slid her hand onto Jade's thigh as she shuffled to sit next to Jade.

"I thought we weren't going to lie to each other anymore. About anything."

Jade met Perrie's gaze, saw the pleading look in her blue eyes, and let out a sigh.

"I really don't want to talk about it."

"To me or in general?"

"In general. I don't even want to think about it. Everything was so real and I know it was just a dream but I felt so, so—"

"Scared?" Perrie offered.

"Yeah. I still feel scared." Jade admitted. "And a part of me is worried that... maybe it wasn't just a dream."

"What do you mean?"

With a heavy heart, Jade recounted her dream to Perrie. It wasn't difficult to remember all of it. Every detail was clear in her mind and she wasn't sure if she'd ever forget it. It was nothing like the first dream she had after arriving on Chandrila. That memory was muddled and there were gaps where she couldn't remember what she had seen exactly. The dream she just had seemed so real, it may as well have actually happened.

When she finished, Perrie sat quietly, as if taking it all in.

"You're afraid you're going to go to the Dark Side." She stated factually.

Jade nodded.

"Sometimes a dream is just that. A dream." Perrie said with a shrug. "But if you really are scared that our relationship is some kind of... catalyst for your descent to the Dark Side, I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to put an end to it." 

Jade frowned, shaking her head quickly.

"Never. Don't even say something like that."

They had been over this before. Despite how tentative Jade was when it came to their relationship, she insisted that she didn't want to have it any other way. Sure, there was a certain grief that accompanied being with Perrie, but not being with her would be far worse. For Jade, there was no going back.

"If it means anything at all," Perrie began, "I don't think there's anything in the galaxy that could make you go to the Dark Side. You're always looking out for others and putting them before yourself. You've never said a mean thing about anyone. You don't lose your temper. You have the strongest moral compass of anyone I've ever met. I know you probably wanted to hurt the man who tried to kill me, but you didn't. If you have the strength to resist that, then the Dark Side doesn't stand a chance."

For a moment, Perrie became overwhelmed by how pure of heart Jade was. After all, this was the girl who had cried after the first time Perrie kissed her.

"Besides, if you think for a minute that I would let you go to the Dark Side, you are sorely mistaken." Perrie added, her grip on Jade's thigh tightening.

Jade couldn't hold back a laugh.

"You would drop kick me halfway across the planet if I ever pulled anything like that."

"You're damn right!" Perrie said with a giggle.

The two settled back into bed but even with Perrie's comforting arm around her waist, Jade still felt a stomach-wrenching uneasiness at the thought of letting her guard down so soon after experiencing such an disturbing dream.

"Perrie? I don't think I want to go back to sleep."

"Do you want me to stay up with you?"

"Would you?"

"Of course."

\----------

It hadn't been too long before sunrise when Jade woke from her dream, so they spent the few hours talking. Among the topics of conversation was Perrie's siblings.

She told Jade she had an older brother, who had no interest in running the family business and had run off to become a smuggler somewhere off the Perlemian Trade Route. Her younger sister was still in school and was offworld, studying abroad on Naboo. They had grown up on Chandrila together and lived what Perrie considered a pretty average life. Jonnie left when she was 19. Caitlin had gone off to the academy on Naboo the year after that. Neither of them came to the funeral. Perrie had to bury her parents alone.

Jade shared stories of her own. She talked about all the places she'd been and the people she'd met. How she had picked up a few Bocce phrases while on Corellia for a negotiations mission. The time her and her master freed a band of enslaved Twi'leks on Orvax IV and had spent the next three days celebrating with them as the guests of honor. By the time the festivities were finished, Jade could speak fluent Twi'leki. 

Perrie listened eagerly. Her life on Chandrila had been pleasant, but until very recently, uneventful. She wanted to explore the galaxy. She wanted to see the cities of Coruscant and the Lake Country on Naboo. Wanted to visit Alderaan and Bespin and even Tatooine. And now, she wanted to visit all those places with Jade.

 

 

Jade mentioned offhandedly she felt fortunate that the first and only person she'd ever fallen in love with loved her back. At the time, she didn't know she was falling in love with Perrie. Only knew that when she was around her, everything was better, brighter. She didn't even know what was love was until she met Perrie but because of her, she was figuring it out.

Perrie was almost shocked by this. "Never anyone else?" She had asked, in reference to Jade's affections. "Ever?"

Jade had to think for a moment. There were people she cared about back at the Temple. Other young Jedi she had grown up with whom she considered friends, as well as her former master.

She cared about her clones, more than most Jedi usually did. She was like Master Skywalker in that way. After months, sometimes years of fighting alongside each other, it was difficult not to. She told Perrie of her fondness for certain troopers. She spoke of Chatterbox, the ironically nicknamed clone who was reserved and quiet. In the three years Jade had known him, she had only ever heard him raise his voice when Bogey was shot dead beside him by a destroyer droid. She told stories of Knuckles, a rather brash soldier but one of unmatched heroism. Stories of Whiplash, Crasher, Logo, and many others. Dozens of men who fought by her side until the bitter end.

But nothing compared to her love for Perrie. She hoped she would never have to choose but she knew if she did, it would be Perrie. It would be Perrie every time.

 

 

They spent the next day in bed. One of them would get up occasionally to grab a snack or freshen up, but they would always crawl back into the warmth of the blankets. It was a unanimous decision. After staying up all night, a day of lounging around was to be expected.

The sun streamed through the window, gently lighting up the room. Perrie was caught in its rays, her hair a rich golden color in the sunlight.

Jade thought that in a way, Perrie was like the sun. With her sunrise smile and cheery disposition, she brought brightness and light everywhere she went. Her laughter warmed Jade's heart more than the soft rays of Chandrila's biggest star ever did and she was so beautiful sometimes it hurt to look at her. Jade remembered seeing Perrie for the first time, how effortlessly the blonde outshone the dazzling Chandrilan sun. 

\----------

Night rolled around and the two girls realized maybe staying in bed all day had been a bad idea. They were both restless from not having done anything all day.

"Now my sleep schedule is all messed up." Perrie complained as she flopped back onto the bed.

Jade shrugged. "I didn't feel like sleeping anyway." Perrie looked at her, worried that Jade was still apprehensive about going to sleep but when she saw the suggestive smirk on Jade's lips, there was no mistaking what was really on her mind.

"Do you want to—" Perrie began before being cut off by Jade's lips on hers. The kiss was similar to the one they shared in the bathroom all those weeks ago, languid but quickly becoming messier, more intense. Perrie prepared herself for inevitable. Their make-out sessions never lasted very long. This was about as heated as they'd get before Jade pulled away, either content with the amount of affection displayed or worried about going to far. Perrie was amazed how even in the midst of making out, Jade still managed to fret about her inhibitions as a Jedi.

This was nothing like the other times. Jade was not timid as she usually was, but instead kissed Perrie with unbridled passion. She pulled away and shifted so she was straddling Perrie's legs, her hands at Perrie's waist.

Perrie felt an excited flutter in her stomach, but at the same time she was slightly put off by Jade's newfound lust. It was so sudden, so unlike her that Perrie couldn't help but feel as if something was wrong.

So when Jade's hand slipped under Perrie's shirt, Perrie stopped her.

"What's gotten into you?" Perrie asked quietly, pulling away to look at Jade.

Jade shook her head, not returning Perrie's gaze. Her eyes were locked on her hands which were fumbling with the hem of Perrie's shirt.

"Tired of waiting." She replied through heavy pants.

Perrie stared at her, unsure of how to respond. As much as she wanted to take this next step with Jade, she didn't want to do it if Jade wasn't ready. She'd wait a thousand years if she had to.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Perrie was rightfully concerned, considering what had kept them up the night before. 

"I need to be close to you." Jade admitted. "I need you to touch me. And I need you to know I don't regret loving you." Perrie was touched by this, but it wasn't enough to put her mind at ease.

"Jade, you don't need to prove anything to me if that's what you're thinking."

"Do you not want to do it?" The Jedi was pulling away from Perrie, her brow furrowed in uncertainty, as if she was wondering if she had miscalculated something.

"I do." Perrie replied, bringing Jade close again. "Let's just... take it slow."

And with that, she pushed her lips against Jade's. It was agonizingly slow at first but it quickly became heavier, sloppier as Perrie pushed her tongue into the other girl's mouth.

"Can I?" Perrie whispered with a tug to Jade's undershirt. Jade nodded quickly, raising her arms as Perrie practically tore the shirt off her.

Perrie paused, in awe of Jade's body. She would have never noticed the last time she saw Jade's naked form. She had been covered in bruises then and looked sickly. Besides, Perrie had been too focused on keeping her wounds clean to notice how beautiful her body was.

She was toned, no doubt from the years of Jedi training. Skinny, but not terribly so. Wiry was the word Perrie would use. Perrie watched her taut muscles contract with each movement as they rippled beneath her skin. Despite the girl's small stature, Perrie knew that Jade was a force to be reckoned with.

Her eyes were drawn to the light brown scar on Jade's shoulder. It was larger than Perrie thought it would be. The last time she saw it, it was still an unsightly open wound. She touched the scar gently, drawing Jade's attention to it as well.

"It's pretty ugly, innit?"

Perrie shook her head, placing a tender kiss on the mark.

"How can anything about you be considered ugly?" She murmured against Jade's skin before trailing up to leave open-mouthed kisses against her neck. Jade whimpered at the sensation, her grip on Perrie's shirt tightening. Perrie kissed her with increased fervor and it wasn't long before Jade was rolling her hips, grinding into Perrie eagerly. She would have been embarrassed by her actions, had she been aware of them. But all she could focus on was how good Perrie's lips felt as she kissed her neck.

But Perrie soon pulled away, much to Jade's disappointment. She placed a swift kiss on Jade's lips before pulling off her own shirt and flinging it somewhere on the other side of the room.

It was Jade's turn to stare. Her eyes wandered from Perrie's lacy rose-pink bra to her collar bones to the thin scar that extended upwards from above her bellybutton.

"It's from surgeries." Perrie explained, knowing exactly what Jade had focused her attention on. "I had to have a few of them when I was a kid. Nothing too traumatic."

Perrie pulled Jade in for another kiss before she could get a proper look at the scar. Jade briefly wondered if Perrie felt self-conscious about Jade seeing her scar but those thoughts were immediately dismissed when she felt Perrie's hand at the back of her neck as she deepened the kiss. There was something comforting about the way Perrie held her and kissed her and sucked small bruises into her skin. It was all so indisputably intimate and real, and Jade found solace in that.

"Can you ease up on your grip, babe?" Perrie asked with a short laugh, pulling Jade out of her musings. "I'm not going anywhere." Jade hadn't noticed until now that her hold on Perrie's shoulders had been unnecessarily tight. When she removed her hands, there were red marks were her fingers had been digging into Perrie's skin.

"Sorry. I'm just really nervous." The brunette replied sheepishly.

"Do you want to stop?"

"No," Jade answered, almost too quickly. "I don't want to mess up is all."

A smile formed on Perrie's face. She found it so endearing that, even with something like sex, Jade was still determined to get it right the first time.

"Stop thinking about what's right or wrong. Just do what feels good." Perrie said, giving Jade an encouraging smile. "Here, let me—"

She stopped herself to put an arm around Jade's waist. With a twist of Perrie's hips, she had Jade on her back underneath her. She was situated between Jade's legs, hovering over the brunette. 

Jade's breath hitched as Perrie undid her bra, leaving her upper body completely naked. The Jedi instinctively raised her arms to cover her exposed chest.

With a pointed look, Perrie pulled the other girl's arms away to soak in the sight of her girlfriend's petite breasts. She watched the rise and fall of her chest, reminded of the times she would watch Jade do lightsaber combat drills out on the patio. The Jedi would always be panting and dripping with sweat by the time she was finished, oddly similar to how she appeared now, breathing heavily and glistening with sweat.

"Don't just stare." Jade hissed and when Perrie looked at her, the brunette was looking the other way, a blush rising in her cheeks.

"I can't help myself." Perrie whispered in reply, placing gentle kisses to the tops of Jade's breasts. "Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?"

Before Jade could reply, Perrie had her lips on Jade's breast, her tongue flicking at the nipple. Her hand snaked up Jade's rib cage to palm her other breast. Jade's back arched at the contact, desperate for more. A moan escaped her lips and she clasped the hand that wasn't fisted in the sheets over her mouth in an attempt to silence herself. Her hips bucked, trying to find some relief but was met by one of Perrie's firm hands holding her down. Short gasps escaped Jade's lips as Perrie continued sucking at her breasts. She let out a cry, something between a sob and a moan, as Perrie kissed down her stomach, drawing closer to where Jade needed her most.

With a sharp tug, Perrie pulled Jade's shorts down to her ankles and within seconds, the brunette had kicked them somewhere across the room. Perrie's eyes settled on the wet spot on Jade's underwear and she felt a wave of desire shoot straight to her core. She tucked her fingers in the waistband of Jade's underwear, sliding them off quickly. Jade squirmed when Perrie pressed a firm kiss to the inside of her thigh and her knuckles went white as she gripped and pulled at the sheets beneath them. Perrie continued to tease Jade by biting gently at the soft skin of her upper thighs.

"Pez." Jade croaked. Perrie looked up at her from her position between Jade's spread legs, meeting Jade's hooded eyes. A quiet, "Please," was all she could manage through shallow gasps.

Perrie could see how much Jade wanted it, how much she needed it. Without hesitation, she ducked down and began licking and sucking at Jade's center. Jade whimpered, the volume of her moans increasing as Perrie dragged the flat of her tongue against Jade. Perrie felt a hand tentatively push into her hair and when she groaned contently, Jade's hold on her roots tightened. Jade's other hand had found Perrie's where it was gripping the Jedi's thigh. She pried it away to intertwine their fingers, no longer satisfied by grasping at the bed sheets.

Perrie continued to mouth hotly at Jade's core, changing her languid movements to ones of increased ardor. Jade rolled her hips to meet Perrie's mouth. A stream of swears, some of them in languages Perrie didn't even recognize, and Perrie's name fell from her mouth as she reached her climax.

Jade lie limply on the bed catching her breath as Perrie showered her with kisses, whispering quietly how good and beautiful Jade was as she did so. But as much as Perrie wanted to admire the view of her lover sprawled out on the bed, she could no longer ignore the burning desire in the pit of her stomach. Just as Jade began to sat up, Perrie clambered into her lap, nearly knocking her back down with a passionate kiss.

Jade's hands were shaking again as she ran them up and down Perrie's freckled arms. This wasn't unusual for Jade. She was steadfast with a lightsaber but when it came to Perrie, she crumbled.

"Jade." Perrie breathed out. "My bra—"

Jade removed Perrie's bra so fast, the blonde was afraid she'd torn it off rather than undone the clasp. Jade went about smothering Perrie's chest with kisses, slow and purposeful. She did her best to mimic what Perrie had done to her, wanting nothing more than to please the blonde. Perrie moaned loudly, her nails raking down Jade's back, but she needed more. Watching Jade come had gotten her so worked up and Jade's careful ministrations were not enough.

"I need your fingers in me now."

Once again Jade was gripping Perrie firmly, like the blonde might slip away between her fingers if she wasn't careful. Perrie didn't care anymore. She reveled in the sharp sting of Jade's nails digging into her skin. At Perrie's vulgar statement, Jade's nails dug in a little deeper.

They fumbled to get Perrie's shorts and underwear off and before Jade had a chance to set them somewhere by the side of the bed, Perrie was grabbing her hand and pressing it between her legs. 

Perrie moaned into Jade's mouth as she fucked herself on Jade's fingers. She kept her hands on Jade's shoulders to balance herself as the brunette fingered her intently. Through her fluttering eyelids, Perrie could see Jade watching her, mouth parted slightly with an awed look on her face. 

Her orgasm hit her quick and hard and Perrie fell forward onto Jade, the two of them collapsing onto the bed. 

 

"Do you wanna go again?" Perrie asked after a couple of minutes, before planting a firm kiss on Jade's shoulder.

The brunette shook her head, still feeling dazed from her first orgasm. 

"I think that's enough for one night."

Perrie opted not to make a joke about 'Jedi stamina', but she wasn't about to let Jade off without some gentle teasing.

"You've got a dirty mouth for a Jedi." She remarked. 

Jade gave her a look. She wanted to point out that Perrie was capable of being just as lewd but instead she just said, "You hear a lot of things on Outer Rim planets. I can't help that I picked up on some scoundrel's favorite obscenities."

Perrie gave Jade a smug grin before rolling closer and pressing her lips to the spot behind Jade's ear. 

"...very naughty. Maybe I should punish you for it later." She murmured, squeezing Jade's thigh as she did so.

That earned her a swift kick in the shin as Jade pushed her away. Perrie barely caught herself from falling off the side of the bed and she couldn't help but laugh when she saw the intense blush that went all the way down to Jade's neck and the scandalized look on her very red face. The Jedi sputtered something incoherent before pouncing on Perrie.

"I'm kidding! I'm kidding!" Perrie managed through a fit of giggles, trying to avoid Jade's indignant albeit playful jabs. Their little tiff had devolved into lighthearted wrestling. 

"Okay, I get it! You're not ready to try that sorta thing yet. We'll give it time—"

"Perrie, please shut up." Jade interrupted. The blush was still present in her cheeks but she didn't look angry or annoyed, much to Perrie's relief. 

"I'm sorry, baba. You know I'm just teasing." Perrie said, giving her an apologetic kiss on the cheek. "Now roll over so I can cuddle you." Jade followed the command without complaint.


End file.
